Metro-North to receive additional federal funds for Sandy resiliency work

Written by Jenifer Nunez, assistant editor
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In an image taken two days before Hurricane Sandy hit, Metro-North employees removed motors from track switches in an effort to protect components from damage during the storm.
MTA Metro-North Railroad / Anthony Chieffo.

Metro-North Railroad is set to receive more than $20 million in federal emergency relief funding for its Power and Signal Resiliency Improvements project. Local match will be provided through the Metropolitan Transportation Authority Capital Plan Amendment 2010-2014 in the amount of $6,932,500.

 

The federal grant will support the design and construction of 92 elevated steel equipment platforms at various locations along Metro-North’s Hudson Line to house critical power and signal equipment. The funding is being obligated through the Federal Transportation Administration’s (FTA) Public Transportation Emergency Relief program, as part of the Sandy-Relief bill. Specifically, this project was selected on a competitive basis from the Hurricane Sandy Resiliency Competition.

“Superstorm Sandy walloped our tracks, electrical systems, rail equipment and more and this federal funding will help make our transit system more resilient without leaving local commuters on the hook for these expenses,” said U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY). “This massive federal investment means that Hudson River line riders can rest assured that their rail system will be stronger and more resilient in the event of a future storm.”

“This critical federal funding will help provide much needed resources to facilitate upgrades on the Hudson Line,” said Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY). “Superstorm Sandy devastated our communities and these funds will help rebuild our transportation infrastructure even stronger and more resilient so that the New Yorkers who rely on Metro-North to get to work every day can have the peace of mind knowing we are better prepared for when the next storm hits.”

Sections of Metro-North suffered damage from Superstorm Sandy in 2012. Specifically, the Hudson River washed over the tracks in some locations and flooded stations and parking lots. The wind snapped trees, which blocked tracks system wide and crushed third rail that powers trains on the Hudson and Harlem lines. Also, salt water destroyed many electric components of the signal system.

Metro-North’s Power and Resiliency project was allocated $38 million of a $1.9 billion FTA Emergency Relief Program & Disaster Relief grant awarded to the state of New York in 2014.

The Metro-North Railroad Power and Signal Resiliency Improvements project aims to prevent future storm damage along the Hudson Line. The federal grant will help raise critical equipment, including: the third rail sectionalizing switches, snow melter cases, signal power transformers, remote terminal houses, communications pedestals and negative return reactors.

 

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